Be Nutrition Ready and Store Super Foods

Someone asked me once why I named my website Ready Nutrition. Quite simply, I explained that it’s not enough to be ready for all hell to break loose. You can have all the preps in the world, but without a well rounded diet, you wouldn’t have the strength to engage in any form of rigorous activity to benefit your survival.

Being nutrition ready means storing the right types of foods that will benefit you in the long run. These types of foods are also known as super foods, and have health promoting or disease fighting properties beyond the basic function of supplying nutrients. Ironincally, most super foods are some of our favorite foods, so stocking up on them for an emergency food supply should be a no brainer.

10 Super Foods To Store

Allium Family

Garlic and onions are front runners for preventing a multitude of ailments. Members of the allium family (garlic, onions, chives, leeks) contain flavonoids that stimulate the production of glutathione which is an antioxidant in the liver. Glutathione filters out toxins and carcinogens that would otherwise harm the body. Members of the onion family also lowers cholesterol, lowers blood pressure, reduces blood clots, destroys infection causing viruses and bacterias and helps fight against brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s. (Source)

Berries

Berries are rich in antioxidants and are packed with disease fighting properties. Blueberries have the highest amount of antioxidant properties and vitamins. Antioxidants such as Anthocyanin, Vitamin B, Vitamin C, Vitamin E will assist in removing free radicals and fight certain cancers. Berries also are a great source of Vitamin C. One cup of strawberries offers 100 mg of Vitamin C. Berries inhibit the growth of certain bacterias in the bodies which will assist in preventing urinary tract infections. Since constipation from dehydrated foods could be an issue in a long term emergency situation, blueberries can also aid in preventing this uncomfortable issue.

Broccoli

Broccoli is a pretty remarkable vegetable. Broccoli has the highest amounts of cancer fighting compounds and can prevent heart disease. Studies show that rats who were fed broccoli extract were more resilient to heart damage. Broccoli prevents the growth of bacterias in the stomach which can lead to stomach inflammation, ulcers and stomach cancer. This vegetable is also rich in Vitamin C and Calcium. Eating broccoli sprouts are also a great way to benefit from it’s nutritional properties. Sprouts are a high source of antioxidants.

Carrots

Carrots are an excellent source of beta carotene, Vitamin E, Vitamin A . The high amounts of carotenoids assist in preventing heart disease. Carrots also protect vision, thus eating more carrots can help provide protection against macular degeneration and the development of cataracts. Research has suggested that physiological levels, as well as dietary intake, of carotenoids may be inversely associated with insulin resistance and high blood sugar levels.

Citrus Fruits

Citrus fruits are Vitamin C powerhouses. Citrus fruits are known to lower one’s blood pressure. Citrus fruits also assist in the absorption of iron and would be of great benefits to those who are anemic. They can also play a great role in preventing cataracts. Due to the high Vitamin C content, citrus fruits break down phlegm and can be used as natural cold and flu medicinal alternatives.

Oats

Many preppers already know that oats are a invaluable prep item. Not only is their storage life good, but their health properties are phenomenal. Oats assist lowering cholesterol and fight off certain cancers due to their soluble and insoluble fats. These grains are high in omega-3 vitamins which assist in good heart health. Phytochemicals are also present in oats, thus making their cancer fighting abilities more potent. Oats are also a good source of protein, Vitamin E, zinc and copper.

Nuts

Nuts have a profound effects on one’s health. They are good for healthy brain functioning, benefits the heart and lowers cholesterol, provides healthy unsaturated fats needed for the body, are high in omega-3 vitamins, are a good source of fiber which aids in digestion and is also a good source of Vitamin E. The downside to nuts is their dismal shelf life. Typically, nuts expire after 1 year of storage. An alternative to this would be to buy a nut tree, such as the almond, pecan and walnut trees. Nuts can be used for cooking purposes, to make nut flours, and some nuts such as almonds can be soaked and later blended to make a healthy milk alternative. (Source)

Red Grapes

Grapes are rich in vitamin C, vitamin B1 and vitamin B6, and contain powerful phytochemicals (especially phenolics) that may help decrease risk of cardiovascular disease. These phenolic compounds are housed mostly in the skin of the red grapes. Resveratrol, which has been shown to have antioxidant, anticancer and anti inflammatory properties is also present in the grapes dark skins, and may be responsible for some of the health benefits ascribed to the consumption of red wine.

Spinach

This leafy green is packed with flavonoids which act as detoxifiers for the body. Spinach is loaded with Vitamin K, Vitamin A, iron, folate, calcium, Vitamin C, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B6, Vitamin E, protein, copper, zinc, and dietary fiber. Spinach is a versatile vegetable to grown in your suvival gardens. In 30-40 days a person can grow spinach, thus making this a fast growing survival food.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are high in antioxidants which assist in detoxifying the body. Specifically, tomatoes are rich in the antioxidant lycopene which assists in fighting against cancerous cell formation. Tomatoes are so rich in this antioxidant that they actually get their red color from it. It takes as little as 540 milliliters of liquid tomato product to get the full benefits of Lycopene. Tomatoes are also a good source of Vitamin C, Vitmain E, Vitamin 6, Folate, Copper and dietary fiber.

Be Nutrition Ready

Storing these types of food will provide members of the household with needed vitamins the body needs to sustain itself during an emergency situation. Whether a person attains these food types by buying them fresh, frozen, in the canned food aisle, dehydrated or freeze dried #10 cans, the members of the house will benefit from the investment in the long run.

Tess Pennington is the author of The Prepper’s Blueprint, a comprehensive guide that uses real-life scenarios to help you prepare for any disaster. Because a crisis rarely stops with a triggering event the aftermath can spiral, having the capacity to cripple our normal ways of life. The well-rounded, multi-layered approach outlined in the Blueprint helps you make sense of a wide array of preparedness concepts through easily digestible action items and supply lists.

Tess is also the author of the highly rated Prepper’s Cookbook, which helps you to create a plan for stocking, organizing and maintaining a proper emergency food supply and includes over 300 recipes for nutritious, delicious, life-saving meals.

Visit her web site at ReadyNutrition.com for an extensive compilation of free information on preparedness, homesteading, and healthy living.

Actually, I do a little bit of both. I have our canned goods and short emergency supply arranged on shelves. But our longer term food supply is packed away in containers.

It’s crucial to keep your stored food organized so that it can be constantly rotated out. Here’s what I do, but you can change this up to make it work best for you. On a set of 5 shelves, I have my cans organized by vegetables, fruits, meats and beans, entrees, etc. The expiration date that is the closest to being expired goes in front (this way it is used next).

Typically, every six months or so, I do an inventory of our foods and check the dates. If it’s within the year of expiration, I take it to the kitchen to use. I will then make a list of items that we need to stock back up on for a future shopping trip. All of our reserve food pantry is hidden and not exposed to the elements. Heat, direct sunlight, and humidity are your enemies and tend to break food down more rapidly. So, make sure your reserve food supply is in an area not exposed to these elements!

If you are tight on space, you could store your food remotely. I know some preppers who have their reserve food supplies in air conditioned storage garages because they do not have the space in their homes or apartments. Also, I have heard wonderful things about shelf reliance’s organizing systems – especially for cans. They are definately worth the investment! You can check them out on their website:http://www.shelfreliance.com/all-products/frs-food-rotation-systems/the-cansolidator-series.html

If you are planning to do a longer term food storage rotation, buckets with gasketed lids are the way to go. However, even though with this method you would get the most of the money you invest in your food, you would also need to invest in mylar bags, oxygen absorbers and a quality sealer to go this route. The upside to spening the additional money is the foods are protected for a longer term investment. If you have a spare closet the filled bins can be stored away for future use. My family keeps bins organized by labeling what is inside the container, and the date we packed it up.

I feel like this response is so long winded! 🙂 If you have additional questions, or if I didn’t answer you in enough detail, contact me back.

Hi Tess. I just found your site today and am loving it. I live in Texas and was wondering where would be the best place to have storage since we do not have basements here. It gets very hot and humid during the summer but we do have central a/c.

I live in Texas too, and I know what the weather is like here. The best places to store your food reserve would be any area in the home where natural elements such as sunlight, humidity, and moisture cannot be introduced to the food reserve. You do not want your food reserve exposed to temperature fluctuations and moisture fluctuations. This would break the food down.

There are a lot of people that use closets and spare bedrooms to store their food reserve. Any space can be utilized in your home such as storing water or canned goods under the beds, building additional shelves, etc. Just make sure the area is dark, cool and dry.

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